Warning: contains spoilers for Adventures of Superman: Jon Kent #6!
Summary
- Jon Kent confronts a twisted version of the Justice League from the Injustice universe.
- Jon taps into his full power, removing the Yellow Lantern ring from Hal Jordan, and proves that he is stronger than fear itself.
- Jon embodies the qualities that make Superman who he is, including compassion, empathy, and a willingness to face fear, and uses these qualities to defeat the corrupted Superman and help others.
Jon Kent has enormous shoes to fill as Superman, and he's already faced world-shaking threats. His latest battle is personal, though, as he acts to rescue Clark Kent figures across the multiverse. Sometimes, that means saving Kal-El from himself. Defeating him is no easy task, and Jon deals with more than fists along the way — including one Green Lantern.
In Adventures of Superman: Jon Kent #6 by Tom Taylor, Clayton Henry, Jordie Bellaire, and Wes Abbott, everything comes to a head for Jon. He faces a Superman from the Injustice universe who has lost his way and is ruling the world with an iron fist. By tapping into every ounce of his knowledge and power, he gets through the Justice League, including handling a Yellow Lantern version of Hal Jordan.
Before Jordan can use his fear against him, Superman removes his ring without leaving enough time to stop him. He doesn't just face down fear — he beats it without hesitation.
Superman's New Powers Put Him Beyond Fear's Reach
Superman Jon Kent left his world to stop Ultraman from killing Kal-El in other universes, but he's spent more time navigating an Earth where Clark Kent acts as a dictator. In the previous issue, Superman agrees to help Batman's resistance group stand against their Clark. They're captured shortly after, with Batman and Harley Quinn set to be executed the following day. To stop it, Jon realizes he needs to harness his full power against the Justice League. That involves dealing with Hal Jordan — typically known as a Green Lantern — as a Yellow Lantern capable of manipulating fear itself into constructs. Jon draws on his new well of strength and swiftly removes Hal's ring, saying, "I'm moving faster than fear."
By leaving his own Earth to confront Ultraman, who kept him imprisoned and stole years of his childhood, Jon Kent was already on a path toward confronting fear. He knows what it twists people into and that it weakens even the strongest person. During a previous fight, a disgusted Jon tells Ultraman, "Practically invulnerable...and still ruled by fear. All that power. And absolutely no strength." The line proved prophetic, as the Clark Kent who kills Ultraman is in the same position. Grief and fear rule him, and he in turn uses them to keep his world in line.
Superman Won't Let Fear, Anger, and Grief Rule the World
Jon Kent knows the cost of failure and sees it reflected in the Kal-El ready to kill his friends and enemies alike. By the time Jon encounters Hal Jordan and rips off his Yellow Lantern ring, he's tapped into everything that makes Superman who he is: compassion, empathy, heart, and willingness to face fear for the sake of others. Superman defeats this twisted version of Green Lantern Hal Jordan because even fear itself isn't as powerful as his drive to help others.
Check out Adventures of Superman: Jon Kent #6, available now from DC Comics!